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Paris 2024: Get to know the Paralympic venues
Blind football at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, Para equestrian in the Chateau de Versailles gardens – the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will shine throughout the “City of Light” in just 12 months’ time 28 Aug 2023
One year from now, Paris will host its first Paralympic Games. Up to 4,400 Para athletes from across the globe will take centre stage during Paris 2024 at some of the most iconic landmarks in the city.
The Opening Ceremony on 28 August will take place outside of a stadium for the first time, with the Athletes’ Parade winding its way through the heart of the French capital to the iconic Place de la Concorde.
The quest for medals will be played out across this beautiful city; blind football matches at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, Para equestrian events in the gardens of the Chateau de Versailles, with both wheelchair fencing and Para taekwondo staged at the Grand Palais.
As we count down the days to the Games, here is what you should know about each of the stunning Paralympic venues.
Stade de France
Paralympic sport: Para athletics
Remember the glorious spectacle of this summer’s Para Athletics World Championships in Paris? Next year, the world’s best runners, throwers and jumpers will return to the city and the spotlight in the Stade de France, the country’s largest stadium. The venue, located in Saint-Denis, was originally built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and since then, has staged some of the world’s biggest sporting moments. At the Rugby World Cup later this year, 10 matches, including the tournament opener and the final, will take place here.
Roland-Garros Stadium
Paralympic sport: wheelchair tennis
One of the most iconic tennis venues in the world will open a new chapter when wheelchair tennis stages its Paralympic competition here. Named after French aviator Roland Garros, the famous clay courts host the French Open, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, every year.
Chateau de Versailles
Paralympic sport: Para equestrian
An historic symbol of French royalty, the Chateau de Versailles was home to the court of Louis XIV in 1682. It opened to the public as a national museum in 1883 and became the first French site to be listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1979. A temporary outdoor arena with stands will be set up for fans to witness Paralympic royalty crowned.
Paris La Defense Arena
Paralympic sport: Para swimming
The arena in Nanterre is transforming into a pool for the first time when it hosts swimming at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The huge venue, with 13km of stands and 5,500 tonnes of framework, is home to rugby union side Racing 92. It also serves as a concert venue, where huge names like The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney performed. In 2024, Taylor Swift will perform here as part of her Eras Tour, less than four months before Para swimmers take the stage in ‘Style’.
Eiffel Tower Stadium
Paralympic sport: blind football
What better location for watching blind football history unfold than at this iconic symbol of Paris? The Champ-de-Mars, a public park located at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, will host a temporary arena that can welcome up to 12,860 spectators.
Invalides
Paralympic sport: Para archery
The world’s best Para archers will shoot for the podium at the famous Esplanade des Invalides, a huge garden in the heart of Paris. The Esplanade is located next to the Hôtel des Invalides, a historical building complex constructed during the reign of Louis XIV in 1687 and is the site of Napoleon Bonaparte’s tomb.
Pont Alexandre III
Paralympic sport: Para triathlon
Pont Alexandre III is a bridge between the Seine’s two banks in central Paris, connecting the neighbourhoods of the Champs-Elysees and the Invalides. The bridge, which is 45m wide and 107m long, is a piece of art in itself. It features four 17-metre-high columns that support bronze statues at each bank. During the Paralympics, Para triathletes will start the swimming leg at the base of the bridge.
Grand Palais
Paralympic sports: wheelchair fencing, Para taekwondo
Located in the heart of Paris, the Grand Palais has a long history of hosting art and sport events. Originally built for the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1900, the Palais is known for its magnificent nave and glass roof. It is currently undergoing restoration ahead of its spectacular re-opening for the Paris 2024 Games.
Champ de Mars Arena
Paralympic sports: Para judo, wheelchair rugby
The Champ de Mars Arena is a 10,000 sqm building in the centre of Paris currently known as the Grand Palais Overlay. Designed by French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, this beautiful venue, built with sustainable materials, was created to host art, fashion and sports events while the Grand Palais is being renovated.
Porte de la Chapelle Arena
Paralympic sports: Para badminton, Para powerlifting
Porte de la Chapelle Arena is one of the new venues at Paris 2024. The eco-design venue will stage Para badminton and Para powerlifting competitions during the Paralympics and will be transformed into a cultural and sport hub for people in northern Paris after the Games. Eighty percent of the building’s surface will be covered with greenery, while recyclable aluminium and bio-based wood are also used to construct the complex.
South Paris Arena
Paralympic sports: boccia, Para table tennis, goalball
Boccia and goalball are the only two sports at the Paralympic Games that do not have Olympic counterparts. At Paris 2024, they’ll be staged at the same venue, alongside Para table tennis. The South Paris Arena is located within Paris Expo, an exhibition and convention centre that welcomes 7.5 million visitors a year.
Chateauroux Shooting Centre
Paralympic sport: shooting Para sport
The Chateauroux Shooting Centre will welcome 160 athletes when shooting Para sport events take place. Located in Chateauroux in central France, it opened in 2018 as one of the largest shooting venues in Europe and will continue to be used as a venue for international events after the Paralympic Games. It is equipped with several shooting ranges, making it a perfect venue to host all 13 Paralympic events.
North Paris Arena
Paralympic sport: sitting volleyball
If sitting volleyball is your preferred event, the North Paris Arena in Seine-Saint-Denis is your destination. The Villepinte exhibition centre is the largest venue of its kind in France, with nine halls and space for 6,000 spectators. It will turn into a huge sports arena during the Paralympic and Olympic Games.
Bercy Arena
Paralympic sport: wheelchair basketball
The venue has served as the centre of culture and sport in the French capital since it was built in 1984. It has welcomed more than 30 million spectators across hundreds of events, ranging from athletics to basketball, ice hockey and motocross. Now the indoor arena with its iconic pyramid design will welcome Paralympians and fans from around the world for the wheelchair basketball competition.
Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines Velodrome
Paralympic sport: Para cycling – track
This ultra-modern venue is perfect to showcase the talent and technique of Para cyclists from around the world. Since it opened in 2014, it has hosted a number of international events, including the 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, and is also the home of the French Cycling Federation.
Vaires-Sur-Marne Nautical Stadium
Paralympic sport: Para canoe, Para rowing
Located near the Disneyland Paris theme park, Vaires-Sur-Marne Nautical Stadium is a new complex built in 2019 ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. During the Games, athletes will compete in front of 12,000 spectators in Para canoe and 14,000 in Para rowing. After the Games, people can visit the site to relax and enjoy the scenery, with 450 trees planted to offer people “somewhere to breathe” in the city.
Clichy-Sous-Bois
Paralympic sport: Para cycling – road
Clichy-sous-Bois is a commune in the Paris suburbs where the Paralympic road cycling events will start and finish. Events including men’s and women’s road races, time trials and a mixed team relay will be contested on the streets. The routes will be announced by Paris 2024 at a later date.
